Pliable hammock chamber for steam baths



March 24, 1931. E. GOLA PLIABLE HAMMOCK CHAMBER FOR STEAM BA'IHS FiledNov. 8, 1929 3"Sheets-Sheet 1 avwewlrov hi4 Meme/1 an" W March 24, 1931.GQLA 1,798,080

PLIABLE HAMMOCK CHAMBER FOR STEAM BATHS Filed NOV. 8, 1929 5Sheets-Sheet 2 ao-wemok; Wm 9 @51 ki Wow w Mar h 24, 31- E. GOLA1,798,080

PLIABLE HAMMOCK CHAMBER FOR STEAM BATES Filed Nov. 8, 1929 3Sheets-Sheet 3 3% his flbtozmu o WI fl l %dww Patented Mar. 24, 1931PATENT OFFICE ESTEBAN GOLA, OF BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA PLIABLE EAMMOGKCHAMBER FOR STEAM BA'IHS Application filed November 8, 1929, Serial No.405,808, and. in Argentina September 17, 1929.

The different types of means for giving steam baths that include all thebody are well known, amongst which, those most commonly used consist inchambers in which the person is seated in such a way that the upper partor wall of the chamber allows the head to be kept above so that thesteam circulates freely inside, coming in contact with the body.

This steam is generated in the chamber by a suitable heater thatvaporizes the existing water in a suitable container; these chambers areportableand are generally made with a framework of wood covered withcanvas or the like, in the form. of curtains 15 appropriately joined atthe corners.

Practically, they present objections by the inconvenience of providingthe steam source,

putting it in activity and leaving it in suspension, and also producesome fatigue to. the person bathing, who generally needs another to helpin the preparation and furthe necessary details.

Further, there are steam leakages through the curtains, and the bathdoes not give the profitable results that are expected from it.

The present invention is in the form of a bed in combination with asteam source, upon which the person who is to have the bath lies, and ischaracterized amongst other particularities by being pliable, therebyocmeans of a perforated pipe, to which steam arrives which has beengenerated by a boiler placed at some distance, from which by means of arubber pipe or the like, is made the connection from this source ofsteam, to the pipe line of the chamber. A steam tap situated in the pipewithin reach of the person bathing, opens and cuts off, as the case maybe, the passage of the steam from O the boiler to the pipe line.

As has been described, the invention meets satisfactorily the purposesof its creation, because the source of the steam is placed far from thechamber, it is very convenient to take the bath, and the handling of theprovision and suspension of the current of steam is very practical; alsobecause when the person is lying on the bed, he bathes in perfect rest.

Other advantages that the bed has, is that it serves as an ordinary bedwhen it is not being employed for what it is preferably intended.

In the accompanyingdrawings given in illustration of contents of thisinvention:

Figure I is a side view of the bed mounted, forming a chamber, andconstructed according to the invention.

Figure II shows a boiler to generate the steam that penetrates to theinterior of the chamber.

Figure III is a longitudinal cut of the bed shown in the Figure I.

Figure IV is a transverse section according to the line AB of Figure I.

Figure V shows the bed seen from above.

Figure VI shows a perspective of the folded bed, having one of thelongitudinal walls opened to show the invention more clearly and FigureVII is a front and profile view of the hinges by means of which the headand foot pivot.

The construction of the bed is ing:

the follow- The material principally employed wood and the parts, onewith another, are

appropriately oined.

The main body has a structure with a frame 1 that carrles cross beams 2upon which are placed longitudinal rods 3 properly spaced, in suchmanner that they form the bed itself on which the person lies. At eachone of the sides, or cut-s, which will be called heads, pivot walls 4+5on hinges 6,

Fig. VII, of special construction disposed in b the upper angles, sothat when-the walls 4-5 fold, they remain beneath the level'of the edgeof the frame in such a way, that the longitudinal walls 7 that alsopivot in the same way, by means of thehinges 8 placed in the corners. Infolding, they cover the walls l5 of the heads, so that the bed whenfolded forms a rectangular parallelopiped.

On unfolding the bed, the longitudinal walls 7 and the transverse ones15 form the chamber for the distribution of the steam, because theymaintain a vertical position with the edges of the corners touching eachother.

The transverse walls have on the inside, extending downwardly,projections 9 with grooves 10 in which engage in removable form plates11 which are provided at the ends with a pipe 12 with equidistantperforations 13, an inlet 14, and a small pipe 15 for the evacuation ofthe water; and this pipe which serves to distribute the steam, isutilized at the same time to reinforce the walls l-5 to maintaintheir-rigidity and to avoid any rocking movement that would. make thebed swing.

The pipe 12 has a lateral extension 16 that unites in the socket 1e andin this extension 16 is encountered the steam tap 17 that admits or cutsoff the passage of the steam that comes from the boiler. Bymeans of arub- .ber pipe, one of its ends18 is joined by a joint with that end ofthe pipe 16 which goes out from the pipe 12.

Some portion 19 of the longitudinal rods 3 is cut and leaves a space bythe side of the head through which the person who is bathing earnintroduce his hand to turn the steam tap 1 I At the upper part of theframe 1 are encountered two lugs 20 to each side to secure the ends oftwo arches 21 that remain above to serve as support to the blanketthatis laid over it and that forms the vaulted space heneath where thebathing person is placed. 7

A movable board 22 pivoted by means of the hinges 23 is arranged in theupper-part of the heading of the frame and serves to contain the pillowon which the bather can recline. This board 22 can be maintained to hlevel of the bed, rising or descending being means of generating theheat and the tank :or

boiler 29 has at its upper part a removable cap '32 for use when wateris to be put in, and a curved pipe 33 in which is connected the rubberpipe 3 1 that leads to the pipe 12 for the distribution of the steam. Ithas also a manometer 35 to indicate the pressure of the steam, anexhaust valve 86 for the si'ipe-r-prod'uc'tion, a glass pipe or level 37to take ac-' count of the existing water in the i terior,

and an evacuation" coc'k 38.

As it will be easily understood, this apparatus is placed near or farfrom the bed, ac-

.cording to the rubber pipe 341 that puts it in union with the latter.

The way to proceed with the pliable bed to take a bath and the operationand the circulation of the steam for the purpose will be described asfollows.

, The bed being in the represented condition in the Figure VI andsupposing that one of the longitudinal walls 6 should also be folded asone'of them is represented in said figure, we will proceed to open thewhole, so that the four walls 456 maintain the vertical position, as isdemonstrated in Figure I, seen from the side. When soplaced we take thepipe of distribution 12 of the steam and by means of the plates 11 thatare at its ends, proceed to engage in the grooves 10 of the interiorprojections 9 of the transversewalls 45, which causes the bed to remainperfectly firm, the edges of the corners of the walls 456 meeting eachother.

vAfter this board is placed, which as has been said, has hinges 23 ofspecial construction and by means of the support 2e that engages in theteeth 27 of the wall 5 the desired incline is given to the board 22placing at once the arches 21 secured at the lugs 20and above these theblanket or similar cloth that prevents the filtration of the steam.Immediately after we light the heater 31 of the boiler 29, which will bealready communicated with the bed by means of the rubber pipe 34 andaccording to the indicating apparatus that'the said boiler 29 possesses,the level of the water that has been thrown by the mouth 32 is estimatedand the pressureof the steam is observed by means of the ma nometer 3 5,7

The steam passes then by means of the rubber pipe 31 and reaches thesteam tap 17 situated beneath the open space 19 in the bed. Then is thesuitable time for the person to enter the bath, lying in the bed beneaththe blanket, and with his'hand opens the steam tap 17 by means of whichthe steam begins to enter the distributing pipe 12,escaping by theorifices 13. The quantity of steam, time of remaining in the bath andother details remain to be decided by the 'bather, and'when he considersthat suflicient time has passed,

he closes the steam tap 17 and the bath is finished.

From what has been previously expressed regarding the construction andwhat immediately follows can be clearly deduced that :to return the bedand the boiler to the situation of resting, the manipulations arereversed thereby it is considered unnecessary to givea detaileddwcription respecting'them. What I'claiin is V 7 1. Achamber for a steambath comprising a structure formed .of a rectangular frame with crossbeams, thesheeter sides :be'nigepiwotally secured to the said frame,walls on the said frame foldable underneath the edge of the frame whenthe chamber is in its collapsed position, longitudinal Walls pivotallyconnected to the frame and foldable underneath the shorter walls; apivotal head rest sup ported on one of the shorter walls; a perforatedsteam pipe, plates on the end of the saidpipe for aiding thedistribution of steam, projections on the interior walls of theframework having a groove therein and engaging with the said plates,whereby they also aid in reinforcing the said walls, a pliable bedformed of substantially equidistant longitudinal rods disposed on saidframe, the said bed having an opening in the head thereof, lugs on thesaid frame, arch members removably carried by said lugs, and a pliablecovering on the said arch members.

2. A chamber for a steam bath comprising a structure formed of arectangular frame having longitudinal and transverse pivotal walls,movable when the chamber is opened, into vertical position with abuttingcontact of their adjacent edges, cross beams on the said frame, apliable bed formed of substantially equidistant longitudinal rodsdisposed on said frame, the said bed having an opening at the headthereof, the walls thus forming a chamber beneath the bed, lugs on thesaid frame, arch members movably carried by said lugs, a pliablecovering on the said arch members, a removably mounted articulated headrest secured to said frame adjacent the opening, a removable pipearranged below said bed and having substantially equidistantperforations and an orifice, a branch departing from said pipe into thesaid opening, a steam pipe on said branch and lying in said opening, thesaid branch extending through one of the said walls, and a steam supplyto which the said branch is connected.

3. A chamber for a steam bath comprising a foldable rectangular frame,cross beams therefor, a pliable bed formed of substantially equidistantlongitudinal rods disposed on said frame, the said bed having an openingat the head thereof, lugs on the said frame, arch members removablycarried by the said lugs, a pliable covering on the said arch members, aremovably mounted articulated head rest secured to said frame adjacentthe opening, means on said frame by which to carry it in transport, aboiler carried by said frame, heating means disposed beneath saidboiler, an evacuation cook, a manometer, a valve for thesuper-production of steam, a pipe for the outlet of the steam into thechamber, and means connecting the said pipe to the said boiler.

In testimony whereof I afi'ix my signature.

ESTEBAN GOLA.

